Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-20
THE SOUTHWEST.
TaB BOOM IN THE GARDEN sPorr OF
VIRGINIA.
New Enterprises-kinera Deposita-0p.
tions-Piaster Industry-Rsiiroad
schemes-Rich Valley.
Special correspondence Of the Dlspa'ch.l


Anew interest has sprung up amongst
the wealthy capitalists of Pennsylvania
and other northern States in regard TO
the wonderful iron-ore deposits OF
Southwest Virginia, especially by the
New.River and Cripple Greek Valleys,
since the publication Of the report OF
A. s. McCreath and De Juvellius,
which Was read before the American
Institute Of Mining Engineers at their
meeting at Germantown, Pa. The
facts and figures given therein in refe-
renee 10 the superiority of both the ores
and the fuel OF this section over those of
the Chattanooga district, in Tennessee,
and the Birmingham district, in Ala
bnma, created q profound impression
and have resulted in q number OF visits
from the iron masters of the North 10
this region.
Your correspondent was informed
to-day of large enterprise looking to
the development of the rich mineral
and plaster-beds in Rich Valley: A
company was organized in December
last in the name of s. Walton a. Co.,
composed Of wealthy southern and east
ern capitalists, who propose to build a
line Of railway from Che Norfolk and
Western at Saltville, Va, by way of
Holston river eastwardly twenty-one
miles to the gap OF Lick creek, and
thence distance of six miles to the
junction of Lick creek and Poor Val
ley, at the western foot of Gordon
mountain, near the Bland and Tazewell
county line. This section, known as
Rich Valley, is Justly reputed as one of
the most fertile and beautiful spots in
Dur whole State, being highly adapted
to grain-growing and the home Of the
best strains OF blooded cattle and
horses in the Southwest Many OF the
best bluegrass farms in Virginia are
found in this valley, the herd-book
of Bowman & Palmer at Saltville
showing the largest herd OF blooded
stock in the world. The people are
wealthy, and live at ease in their magni-
fcent residences, which are found on
almost every farm.
GYPSUM.
Beginning at Saltville, the terminus
of the branch running ont from the
Norfolk and Western at Glade Springs,
the gypsum beds follow eastwardly
along Rich Valley in a vein for sixteen
miles, having been developed and
largely worked on the Pierson property,
four miles east of Saltville the Barnes
a. Taylor, six miles, and at the Bucha-
nan banks in Locust Cove, sixteen miles
east of Saltville. At Persons they
were penetrated sixty feet; at Barnes
e. Taylor's, sixty-fve feet at Revcr
Buchanan's, 300 feet, and at j. Fl.
Buchanan's 500 feet, beginning near
the surface at all points, but the bottom
having been reached at none. In Lo-
Gust Cove large plantations are I'M
derlaid with this the. most s,Ipe-
rior of all fertilizers. AS these
fertilizers are not now reached
by rail, thousands of wagons come
every season from the southwestern
counties (ofttimes a distance Of forty or
fifty miles, to get the plaster, and fire.
quently paying as low as one or two
dollars per ton at the banks, and selling
in Carroll or Grayson sometimes as
high as twenty dollars per ton. As
fertilizer ii is unsurpassed, eXcellin9 in
appreciation with the farmers even the
bone of the North or the phosphates of,
the South. Many farms in this locality
which "A decade past were almost de-
serted as worthless would now bring
from $50 to $50 per acre-made SO alone
by the use of this plaster. Barytes IS
also found in immense quantities, and
the Marion mills of Luther & Goodell,
the only place where this mineral is
worked south of the New England
States, is now making arrangements to
develop these deposits.
IRON.
Before the days of railroading-that
is, previous to the year 1856, when the
Virginia and Tennessee was built
the Southwest valley was
known as an iron country, and active
forges, well patronized, were run by
Governor Saunders two miles east OF
Saltville, 10y William Graham at
Chatham Hill and Martin Davis near
Olympia. The supply of ores was OBJ
tanned in great measure by gathering
ND the loose boulders from the surface
of the neighboring hills, but when this
became scarce small pits richly reward
ed the toiler on the Saunders farm, the
William III. Hughes farm near Chatham
Hill, and the w. Z Dotson farm near
Olympia. Upon these and in many other
localities are found almost inexhausti-
BILE deposits of brown hematite, carry
ing the purest qualities of Bessemer
ores. Recent explorations have dis
covered magnificent deposits OF red
hematite on the lands of w. V. b. Til
son, while the specular ores are also
found in other portions of the valley.
TIMBER.
Between the Locust Cove creek, tri-
butary of the Holston river, and Rich
Valley proper comes intervening ridges,
whose lands, being thinned, have left an
almost unbroken forest of poplar, hick-
oIy, ash, locust, oak, and chestnut tim
bers. The timber OF this valley has
long been noted for its excellence OF
quality-its curly walnut, and its mag
poplars. Five or six miles east
Of Chatham Hill they seem to reach
The perfection of grandeur, and here,
On the lands Of William Wyer, is found
the giant tree known as the "big pop
ar" and which actually measures TWEEN
ty-four feet in circumference.
THE otr1oxs.
The company spoken of propose to
develop and open to the world these
mineral, timber, and agri-
cultural lands, and in Rich Valley have
aiken options on 1900 acres of land,
!, 1000 Of which is in plaster properties |
md 1000 in iron and timber, aggre-
eating a cost of $3.50, 600.
pooR VALLEY.
Poor Valley runs parallel with Rich
Valley, Little Brushy mountain sepa-
rating the two valleys-the former
ying in Tazewell county and the latter
IN Smyth county. LISA good country,
but not so fertile and favored by soil as
Rich Valley, and hence the early set
tlers very improperly and imprudently |
,alled it Poor Valley by way, not OF
description, but of contrast. In this
ALLEY also abounds magnificent forests
IF the most valuable timbers, while
many fields of fine manganese, zinc,
- r. w.